Steve LaTourette rips anti-Boehner gang

One day out of office, former Rep. Steve LaTourette on Friday slammed GOP House members who didn’t support John Boehner for speaker.

“I really wish these new folks well, but yesterday was not a good sign that that’s going to happen,” LaTourette said on CNN. “Twelve people, it was either nine or 12 who just left the reservation and don’t vote for the speaker. That vote is a no-brainer. It’s all about whether or not your party is going to control the agenda.”

Text Size

Nine voted for someone other than Boehner, while three others either didn’t vote or voted “present.”

LaTourette, a close Boehner ally, also defended the speaker from tea party criticism following the House’s passage of the fiscal cliff deal earlier this week.

“What, these chuckleheads think that having Nancy Pelosi speaker of the House is better for the Republican Party? I don’t think so,” the Ohio Republican said. “So they really have to come to terms why are they here? If they’re just here to vote no — we can train a monkey to vote no.”